Therapeutic aspect of microRNA inhibition in various types of hypertension and hypertensive complications

Abstract

Hypertension has attained an epidemic level and it has been predicted that by 2025, 25 % of adult individuals worldwide will be hypertensive. Despite considerable advances in illustrating the molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension, the regulatory function still remains unknown and there are certain limitations in the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment of various types of hypertension. On the other hand, non-coding RNAs called microRNAs which are short with 16–27 nucleotides in length can serve as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets for various diseases, including hypertension. Interestingly, anti-miRs, a miRNA inhibitor blocks the target miRNA molecules to suppress the disease progression. At present there are many studies concentrating on miRNA inhibition in the treatment of different types of hypertension, but still their molecular mechanisms and therapeutic applications are yet to be evaluated. In this review, we provide an in-depth examination of the current understanding regarding the role of miRNA inhibition as a therapeutic target in various types of hypertension and its complications in heart, brain, eyes and kidney.